US-20260126747-A1 - MANAGEMENT DEVICE, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PRODUCT

US20260126747A1US 20260126747 A1US20260126747 A1US 20260126747A1US-20260126747-A1

Abstract

A management device includes an interface and a hardware processor. The interface is configured to connect with an image forming apparatus that forms a document image and a non-document image on a medium. The hardware processor is configured to acquire a print coverage of the non-document image from the image forming apparatus, acquire temperature and humidity information of the image forming apparatus, acquire a color material adhesion proportion that is a function of the temperature and humidity information, and calculate information on color material consumption by multiplying a color material adhesion amount by the color material adhesion proportion. The color material adhesion amount is derived from a print coverage of the document image and the print coverage of the non-document image.

Inventors

Ken Miyazaki
Masatsugu Kouguchi
TOMOHIRO MIKAMI

Assignees

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251106
Priority Date: 20241107

Claims (9)

1 . A management device, comprising: an interface configured to connect with an image forming apparatus that forms a document image and a non-document image on a medium; and a hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor is configured to: acquire, as a print coverage acquiring part, a print coverage of the non-document image from the image forming apparatus; acquire, as a temperature and humidity information acquiring part, temperature and humidity information of the image forming apparatus; acquire, as a color material adhesion proportion information acquiring part, a color material adhesion proportion that is a function of the temperature and humidity information; and calculate, as a color material consumption amount calculating part, information on color material consumption by multiplying a color material adhesion amount by the color material adhesion proportion, the color material adhesion amount being derived from a print coverage of the document image and the print coverage of the non-document image.
2 . The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the color material adhesion proportion is a toner transfer proportion; the non-document image is an image of a correction patch used to correct an image quality; and the information on color material consumption includes either a toner consumption amount or a consumption cost or both the toner consumption amount and the consumption cost.
3 . The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to calculate, as the temperature and humidity information acquiring part, an average value of the temperature and humidity information obtained by averaging the temperature and humidity information for a set period.
4 . The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to acquire, as the temperature and humidity information acquiring part, information on temperature and humidity of the image forming apparatus.
5 . The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to acquire, as the temperature and humidity information acquiring part, information on ambient temperature and humidity via a network.
6 . The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to display on a display a comparative display of: the information on color material consumption calculated by the color material consumption amount calculating part; and the information on color material consumption under a worst-case condition of temperature and humidity of the image forming apparatus, under the same condition of the temperature and humidity, or when the temperature and humidity are at average values.
7 . The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to display on a display a graph in which the information on color material consumption calculated in the past by the color material consumption amount calculating part is plotted in chronological order.
8 . A management system, comprising: an image forming apparatus configured to form a document image and a non-document image on a medium; and a management device configured to manage the image forming apparatus, wherein the management device includes a hardware processor configured to: acquire a print coverage of the non-document image from the image forming apparatus; acquire temperature and humidity information of the image forming apparatus; acquire a color material adhesion proportion that is a function of the temperature and humidity information; and calculate information on color material consumption by multiplying a color material adhesion amount by the color material adhesion proportion, the color material adhesion amount being derived from a print coverage of the document image and the print coverage of the non-document image.
9 . A non-transitory storage medium storing a management program for a computer that connects to an image forming apparatus that forms a document image and a non-document image on a medium, the management program causing the computer to: acquire a print coverage of the non-document image from the image forming apparatus; acquire temperature and humidity information of the image forming apparatus; acquire a color material adhesion proportion that is a function of the temperature and humidity information; and calculate information on color material consumption by multiplying a color material adhesion amount by the color material adhesion proportion, the color material adhesion amount being derived from a print coverage of the document image and the print coverage of the non-document image.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE STATEMENT The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Japanese Patent Application Number 2024-195187, filed November 7, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a management device, a management system, a management method, and a management program product, and, for example, may relate to a management device that manages an image forming apparatus that performs color printing on a transparent medium. Description of Related At Printing apparatuses of an inkjet type and a toner transfer type are known. With an inkjet type, printing is performed by discharging ink onto a medium by heat or pressure. With a toner transfer type, toner is transferred to a medium and the transferred toner is fixed. With a printing apparatus, it is preferable to estimate an amount of ink consumption in advance so that a user may replenish ink in advance when ink shortage is expected. For example, Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Number 6823962) discloses a device for calculating an amount of ink consumption when printing is performed with an inkjet printing apparatus (paragraphs [0055] and [0062] of Patent Literature 1). This calculation of the ink consumption amount is based on adjustment data. The technology of Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Number 6823962) calculates the consumption amount of ink based on the adjustment data, but does not take into consideration changes in environment such as temperature and humidity. A printing apparatus that uses dry toner (which is powder) in particular includes a fixing device, and an amount of toner usage fluctuates significantly due to changes in temperature and/or humidity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the disclosure is to provide a management device, a management system, a management method, and a management program product that are capable of more accurately calculating a usage amount of a color material used by an image forming apparatus. To achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objects, according to an aspect of the disclosure, a management device includes an interface and a hardware processor. The interface is configured to connect with an image forming apparatus that forms a document image and a non-document image on a medium. The hardware processor is configured to acquire, as a print coverage acquiring part, a print coverage of the non-document image from the image forming apparatus, acquire, as a temperature and humidity information acquiring part, temperature and humidity information of the image forming apparatus, acquire, as a color material adhesion proportion information acquiring part, a color material adhesion proportion that is a function of the temperature and humidity information, and calculate, as a color material consumption amount calculating part, information on color material consumption by multiplying a color material adhesion amount by the color material adhesion proportion. The color material adhesion amount is derived from a print coverage of the document image and the print coverage of the non-document image. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an example of a toner transfer proportion table. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen displayed when toner consumption estimation is to be started. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of a management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an operation when an image forming apparatus acquires a variation factor. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an operation when an image forming apparatus acquires print coverage information of a correction patch. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a toner adhesion amount on a drum and a gradation. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an operation when the management device displays a screen of a toner consumption amount. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen when an estimated toner consumption amount is compared with a toner consumption amount under a worst condition. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen when an estimated toner consumption amount is compared with a toner consumption amount under the same condition of temperature and humidity. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen when an estimated toner consumption amount is compared with average values. FIG. 12 is a diagram ill